Draft or buffing rigging.



No. 681,880. vFammi sept. 3, |901;

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(Application med June 15, 1901.)

3 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

No. 6s|,88o. Patented sept. 3, 190|.A R. D. GALLAGHEB, IR. DRAFT 0R BUI-'FING HIGGINS. (Application med :une 15, 1901.) (No Modal.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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No. 68I,880. y Patented Sept. 3, I90I. R. D. GALLAGHER, 1R. DRAFT 0B BUFFING RIGGING.

(Application tiled June 15, 1901.) (lo Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD D. GALLAGHER, JR., OF NEV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD COUPLER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

DRAFT OR'BUFFING RIGGING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters'Patent No. 681,880, dated September 3, 1901.

Original application filed April 8, 1901, Serial No. 54,900.

Dividedand this application filed June 15, 1901. Seri No. 64,765. (No'model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD D. GALLA- GHER,Jr.,a citizen ofthe United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft or Bu'ing Rigging; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to improvements in rigging designed to yield and take up strains on parts moved by heavy pressure. The type of rigging is well exemplified in my prior application, Serial No. 54,900, filed April 8, 1901, and, like the invention set forthin that application,the presentimprovements aredesigned with particular reference to the requirements of draft-rigging for railway rolling-stock.

The objects of the present invention are to simplify and reduce the weight and size of the complete appliance, as well as to centralize and render the same friction elements operative to resist strains in either direction-as, for instance, draft and bufng strains.

The invention consists in a pair of draft and bnffing springs of ordinary construction confined between followers, as `in the common draft-rigging now in use, with a friction element interposed between said springs and operating to increase the resistance to the compression of the springs when pressure is applied in either direction.

The invention further consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts,all as willnow be described, and pointed out particularly in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

AFigure l is a horizontal section through a draft-ri ggin g embodying my presentimprovements. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the same. Fig. 3 is a section at right-angles to Figs. 1 and 2, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the frame having the internal friction-faces. Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective vviews of one of the intermediate followers and wedge-blocks, respectively. Figs. y7 andy 8 'are views corresponding to Fig. l and showing modified arrangements ofthe workingparts ofthe draftrigging.

Similar numerals of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures.

In said drawings the numeral l indicates the sills or draft-timbers of the car-frame,and

such sills or draft-ti mbers,while shown in the form of channel-irons, may be of any preferred form and of either wood or iron, such as are now found or used in car construction. v

The draft-rigging itself may be contained between cheek-plates attached to the drafttimbers, or the parts of the draft-rigging may work between suitable brackets and stops independently attached to the draft-timbers, the draft-timbers themselves in such instance taking the place of the connecting portions of the cheek-plates ordinarily employed. `In Fig.

l malleable-iron cheek-plates 2 are shown at the left-hand end of the rigging, while brackets 3 and 4 are shown at the right-hand end of the rigging for confining and supporting the working parts of the mechanism.

The numeral 5 indicates the rear end of the draw-bar, and from this draw-bar a strap 6 extends rearwardly and incloses two followerplates 7, one located at each end of the mechanism and serving to confine between them the springs 8 for taking up the draft and buffing strains. The follower-plates 7 are supported and limited in their movements by stops 9, formed in the cheek-plates, or by the brackets 3 and 4, as the case may be.`

In operation when draft strain is applied `to the draw-bar and strap the front followerplate remains stationary, while the rear follower-plate advances and subjects the spring to compression, and when buffing strain occurs the rear follower-plate remains stationary, while the frontfollower-plate advances and subjects the springs to compression.

With a View to creating a greater resistance to the compression of the springs, and thereby enable springs of a given power (standard springs) to resist and successfully overcome strains incident to the use of modern steel cars of large capacity, for instance, as well as to overcome injurious reactionary effects, I now interpose between the springs 8 a friction mechanism which will add enormously to the resisting capacity of the draftrigging. of followers interposed between the adjacent faces of the springs and one or both having inclined friction-faces which cooperate with friction-blocks working against friction-faces and adapted to impart motion from one to the other of the followers, dependent upon the direction of strain.

In Fig. 1 the intermediate followers 10 are duplicates of each other and have on their proximate sides inclined friction-faces 11, adapted to cooperate with wedge-blocks 12, held between fixed and oppositely-inclined friction-faces 13. The friction-faces 13 are preferably formed on the inner surface of a rectangular or other suitably-formed frame 14. (Shown in perspective in Fig. 4.) When both the intermediate followers 10, Fig. 5, are provided with inclined friction-faces 11, independent friction-blocks 12, Fig. 6, are provided for cooperation therewith. This construction is well illustrated in Fig. 1 and it will be seen that when one of the intermediate followers is advanced the blocks 12, cooperating therewith, will be displaced in opposite diagonal planes owing to the combined action of the inclines on the follower and fixed inclincs, respectively. The diagonal displacement of the blocks l2 will cause acorresponding displacement of the coperating blocks, but in a direction toward each other, thereby narrowing the space between the wedge-blocks and forcing the other intermediate follower longitudinally to compress the spring. The friction on the three faces of each of the blocks, it will be seen, vastly increases the resistance to the movement of the followers, and by suitably modifying the angles or inclinations of the friction-faces the effective resistance may be increased to practically any desired extent, although in practice it is desirable that the inclinations of the central faces should correspond in order that the Wedge-blocks may be interchangeable and fit in any position in which they may be placed in the apparatus. The frame 14 is preferably held in place in a suitable recess or chamber in the cheek-plates, and its vertical displacement, as well as the vertical displacement of the follower plates, may be prevented by top and bottom straps 15, held in position on the cheek-plates or brackets 3 and 4 by vertical bolts, some of whichas, for instance, the bolts 16-may pass through the frame 14. To insure additional security,the said frame maybe provided with This friction mechanism consists,

lugs or projections 17, entering suitable recesses around the bolts in the fixed top and bottom straps l5. As before intimated, one or the other of the intermediate followers may he formed without inclined friction-faces, but with friction-faces which are in a plane at right angles to the direction of movement of said follower, and such construction is well illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings. In these figures the arrangement of the follower-plates 7 and one intermediate follower lO is similar to the arrangement in Figs. 1 and 2; but the other intermediate follower, numbered 18 in the two figures under consideratiomis a straight-faced followerand isadapted to beardirectlyagainst the wedge-blocks 19. The wedge-blocks 19 directly cooperate with the inclined faces 11 of the cooperating intermediate follower.

The fixed rigid frame 20 corresponds to onehalf of the frame 14 and has but one set of inclined friction-faces 21, with which the wedge-blocks 19 cooperate. In this arrangement, where but one set of blocks is interposed between the intermediate followers,the

number offriction faces or surfaces is correspondingly reduced, with a corresponding lessening of the frictional resistance offered to the longitudinal movement of the followers. So, also, the frictional resistance to the movement of the intermediate followers in one direction is much less than the resistanceto the movenent of the followers in the opposite direction, whereby the arrangement is well adapted for use in situations where the maximum of strain is much greater in one direction than in the other. Where the brackets are employed in lieu of the cheekplates and adapted to be attached directly to the draft-timbers,such brackets maybe provided with projections 22, fitting in apertures or recesses formed in the draft-timbers, so as to give additional strength for resisting the shearing action of the attaching-bolts, and in some instances it may be desirable to employ wear-plates for protecting the drafttimbers against the wear incident to the movements of the followers, as indicated, for instance, at 23, Fig. 1, of the drawings. For the purpose of centering and maintaining the springs in position the followers or the follower-plates may be provided with center posts or projections 24 in addition to the confining-flanges25, and said posts 24 may also serve to limit the compression of the springs by contacting with the oppositely-arranged follower-plate or follower, as will be readily understood. In Fig. 8 there is shown interposed between the intermediate follower 18 and follower-plate 17 a twinspring arrangement instead of a single-spring arrangement, as in the other forms of the invention illustrated. The twin springs 26 are suitably centered by the projections 27, corresponding to the projection 24; but the IOO IIC

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arrangement is such as to give the elastic resistance of two sets of springs instead of one set.

In operation it is obvious that draft or buffing strain applied to the draw-bar and strap and through them to one or the other of the follower plates '7 will force the latter inwardly, compressing the intermediate springs and forcing the travel of the intermediate followers and wedge-blocks, thereby utilizing the frictional resistance due to the rubbing of the friction-faces upon each other in absorbing the strain and transmitting the same from the draw-bar to the framing of the car. The frictional resistance is effective in both directions, and the springs are so balanced as to return the intermedi-ate followers to substantially their normal central position when the strain is released; but in so returning them to their normal central position the frictional resistance is still eective to prevent sudden backlash or injurious reactionary effect from the springs.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- l. In a mechanism such as described, the combination of the following instrumentalities, to wit, oppositely-disposed springs arranged to transmit pressure in substantial alinement, followers interposed between the proximate ends of said springs, wedge-blocks interposed between said followers and a confining-frame having internal frictional faces cooperating with the wedge-blocks, the friction-faces on said frame and followers being arranged each at an angle to the other, whereby the longitudinal movement of one follower causes a longitudinal displacement of the other follower; substantially as described.

2. In a mechanism such as described, the combination of the following instrumentalities, to wit, oppositely-disposed springs arranged to exert kpressure in substantial alinement and in the line of the bufling and draft strains, followers interposed between the proximate ends of said springs, said followers having friction-faces arranged at an angle with relation to each other,wedge.blocks interposed between said friction-faces, and a fixed guide having friction-faces which faces are arranged at an angle with respect to the friction-faces on the followers and control the plane of movement of the wedge-blocks; substantially as described.

3. In a mechanism such as described, the combination of the following instrumentalities, to wit; a confining-frame having internal inclined friction-faces, triangular wedgeblocks having faces resting against said friction-faces,oppositely-arranged followers,friction-faces moved thereby and cooperating with other faces of the wedge-blocks, springs for holding said followers toward eachother,

means for retaining the outer ends of the springs and means for applying draft and bufting strains, whereby said friction-faces are caused to slide upon each other in absorbing such strains; substantially as described.

4. In a mechanism such as described, the combination of the following instrumentalities, to wit; a pair of oppositely-disposed springs, movable follower-plates between which the springs are confined, followers interposed between the proximate ends of said springs, friction-faces on the proximate sides of said followers, wedge-blocks interposed between said faces, fixed guides with which the wedge-blocks cooperate and means for applying bufting and draft strains to the followerplates; substantially as described.

5. In a mechanism such as described, the combination of the following instrumentalities, to wit; a pair of oppositely-disposed springs, means for confining said springs, followers interposed between the proximate ends of said springs and having inclined frictionfaces on their proximate sides, cooperating wedge-blocks interposed between said friction-faces, oppositely-inclined guides within which the blockswork and means for applying buffing and draft strains whereby in absorbing such strains the blocks are caused to travel on the friction-faces and guides; substantially as described.

6. Ina draft or bufng rigging the combination with a draw-bar and a pair of springs arranged in alinement, and adapted to receive draft and buffing strains from the drawbar, of a friction-gear interposed between the proximate ends of said springs and embodying transversely-movable wedge-blocks and guiding friction-faces therefor arranged at an angle to the line of spring compression substantially as described.

7. In an apparatus such as described, the combination with the independent springs arranged in alinement, and followers moving in unison with the proximate ends of the springs and having oppositely-inclined friction-faces on their proximate sides, of contacting triangular wedge-blocks interposed between said friction-faces and guides having oppositelyinclined friction-faces for guiding the blocks in oppositely-inclined planes; substantially as described.

8. In a draft and buff-ing rigging, the combination with the follower-plates movable toward each other, stops for limiting their outward movement and the draw-bar and strap passing around the plates, of apair of springs arranged in alinement between the plates, followers interposed between the proximate ends of the springs and having friction-faces on their proximate sides, triangular wedgeblocks interposed between said friction-faces and an inclosing frame for said blocks having internal friction-faces for coperation with the blocks; substantially as described,

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9. In a draft and bufing rigging, the oomloination With the central frame having the eppositelydnelined friotional guiding-faces, and sets of triangular wedge-blocks coperatng with said faces and with each other, of oppostely-arranged followers having inelined friction-faces cooperating with the wedge-blocks, springs for pressing said followers toward each other, follower-plates between which the springs are located, stops for ro limiting the outward movement of the plates and a draw-bar and connections for transmitting the strains to the plates; substantially as described.

RICHARD D. GALLAGHER, JR. Witnesses:

A. P. DENNIS, LUCY F. MCGARITY. 

